A Night To Remember
by sendintheclowns
Summary: Dean talks Sam into accepting a date to Junior Prom and it turns into a night to remember! Co-written by gidgetgal9 and sendintheclowns.


A Night To Remember

Summary – Dean talks Sam into accepting a date to Junior Prom and it turns into a night to remember! Co-written by gidgetgal9 and sendintheclowns.

A/N (both authors): This story was written for our dear friend, Floralia, who is celebrating a birthday today. We could have written a story about a plane crashing but that seemed mean since Floralia is flying today. Instead we settled on a quick one-shot regarding that American high school rite of passage, prom night.

-0-

Grace Larson was pondering how much things had changed over the last year. At the end of last year, she joined a new church and the youth leader, Charles, had asked a question that really set her on a different path. "You're a senior this year- so when you graduate what are you going to do to make a difference in this world?"

She quickly realized she had no real answer for that question.

Up until that moment she had been happy with the shallow high school life in which she was one of the popular girls. Life was good.

But with that question she realized that High School would end soon and she didn't know where that would leave her. Her parents had recently divorced and money was tight. She was a good student but not an excellent one – she'd spent too much time worrying about the hem of her miniskirt and how many shirts to layer instead of keeping her grades up. College could have been option but she wasn't sure she had the fortitude to make it on her own.

It was then that she decided to make more of her life.

Prom was coming up and while she was not as into it as she had been in the past, that night was still important to her even if for different reasons. Cool and macho were no longer what she needed, no now was the time to find someone sweet and innocent. She was in a quandary about who would make a good date.

Grace was brought out of her musings when Sam Winchester entered Honors English late. He was tall and lanky but very cute and sweet. And those dimples…they were to die for.

Their skanky teacher, Ms. Johnson, was embarrassing the poor boy with unwanted attention and Sam was turning beet red instead of taking in the sights like most of the boys in class.

It was then that Grace had her light bulb moment; Sam was her sweet and innocent. The fact that he was he lit up like a Christmas tree at Ms. Johnson's antics almost proved he was still a virgin and that just made him perfect in Grace's eyes.

Especially since Prom night coincided with the lunar eclipse. It was a sacred day for her church and she had decided to make the ultimate commitment for the good of the congregation. And she would need Sam's help.

-0-

Sam swept into the library for study hall just as the bell rang and rushed over to the desk where the teacher in charge, Ms. Johnson, whispered hello as she bent over and presented him with a clipboard for his signature. Her neckline gaped and Sam averted his eyes, his face flaming bright red.

"Kind of pushing it there, Sam. But we'll let it slide this time since you're new." Her low, sultry voice sent a ripple down his spine. Lifting his head from the clipboard, Sam saw a flash of Ms. Johnson's bare skin and stifling a gasp, he escaped to a table at the back of the library; she was a hot teacher but she made him uncomfortable.

Trying to be inconspicuous, Sam pulled out his Honors English textbook and reviewed his assignment. He could feel someone's eyes on him and when he glanced up, sure enough he saw Grace Larson staring at him from two tables down.

Grace was short and curvaceous. She had a fall of silky, straight blond hair that stopped midway down her back. The light hair complimented her alert blue eyes nicely. She was a senior to Sam's junior but they were both in Honors English together. That alone spoke to Grace's intelligence but Sam had listened intently during class and was impressed by her mind. She sometimes said things that were naive but there was no denying she had a brain in her head.

She was just the sort of girl Sam was avoiding. He would be 17 in another month and still hadn't had a serious relationship but with the way his dad moved the family around every month or two, he'd never have the chance to date. And unless he had feelings for someone of the opposite sex, he couldn't imagine himself fooling around the way his older brother did.

A smirk twitched across Sam's lips as he thought of his older brother. Dean was self assured when it came to the ladies. And he was ripped. No matter how hard Sam tried to emulate his brother, he couldn't pull it off. His dad never missed an opportunity to point that out either. Sure, he was taller now and had shed his baby fat but he was all skin and bones and he had no confidence when it came to girls his age. Snorting to himself, Sam acknowledged he was a loser.

A chair scraped away from the table and Sam's eyes lifted to find Grace sliding in across from him. "Hi, you're Sam, right?"

Sam cast his eyes around him in wonderment. Why was Grace talking to him? She must have him confused with some other tall geek. His eyes returned to find Grace's bright blue eyes staring at him raptly. "Um, yeah, I'm Sam."

He could have bashed his head into the table in embarrassment but he didn't want to call more attention to himself. So much for dazzling Grace with his diverse vocabulary. But apparently Grace didn't mind. Fondling his textbook with small, pale hands she asked, "We're supposed to partner up for an assignment and I was wondering how'd you feel about being mine?"

Sam resisted the urge to look around again to verify that Grace wasn't speaking to someone else. She was staring right at him and her deep blue eyes were making it difficult for him to concentrate. "I, uh, that would be fine."

Again with the witty repartee. Sam was trying hard to engage his upstairs brain but was failing miserably. Reaching across the table, Grace grabbed Sam's hand and flipped it so it was palm up. Uncapping a pen with her straight, white teeth, she scrawled something across the fleshy part of Sam's hand. "Here's my number, why don't you call me after school and we'll make some plans."

Grace decamped from the table, tugging her short miniskirt down in a sexy maneuver that had Sam's tongue literally hanging out of his mouth. Sam stared at his hand in awe. He had a feeling that his life was about to change. Hopefully for the better.

-0-

Dean parked himself at the kitchen table with half a glass of milk, a spoon and a Twinkie. Glancing up at the clock he noticed Sam should be sailing in the door any moment now. It had been over a week since his little brother had informed him that he had a school project to work on and that he'd be arriving home at 5:00 instead of at 3:30.

He snorted at that phrase…school project. To Dean that would mean making out with a girl but this was Sammy. They didn't come any straighter than his little brother.

Their dad had put Dean in charge when he left the area for a job out west. He'd been itching to go with his dad but someone had to take care of Sam. His baby brother had pitched fit upon fit last year when he'd been yanked all over the country but some sort of deal had been hammered out between the stubborn John Winchester and his equally obstinate youngest son and now Sam didn't argue when they picked up and headed for a new location. Of course it happened with less frequency and therein lie the compromise.

All's Dean knew was that he'd grown sick of playing peace maker and was more than happy now that both sides had come to an agreement about Sam's schooling.

His little brother could be such an obsessive-compulsive pain in the ass. Dean didn't always understand him, but it was his job to look after Sam and he took it very seriously. Always had. Always would.

The front door squeaked open and banged shut. "In here Sammy!"

Dean mashed his Twinkie into the milk and tamped down on it with his spoon. He glanced up in time to see the look of revulsion on Sam's face. "First off, it's Sam, not Sammy. And second, that's disgusting. I hope you don't expect me to eat that for dinner."

Glaring his brother down on the outside, Dean was secretly pleased. He lived to push Sammy's buttons. It was another duty listed in the fine print of his job description as older brother. "Hey, I read somewhere that Twinkies don't have an expiration date. We can eat them forever and forever and not worry."

Dean looked at Sam as he waited for his snappy rejoinder but cut him off when he spotted something really worth teasing his brother about. He motioned toward Sam's mouth. "Speaking of dessert, it looks like you got into yours before dinner, too. Pink's a good color on you."

Sam crinkled his nose in confusion and swiped the back of his hand over his mouth. "You'll never get rid of the evidence that way. Here, a paper towel should do the trick."

Standing up, Dean grabbed a paper towel from the roll on the counter and applied it to Sam's mouth as though he was cleaning up a toddler. Sam sputtered and stepped away, pushing at Dean's chest. Dean examined the paper towel. "Exhibit A."

Sure enough, there was a pale pink smudge on the paper towel. Lipstick. Sam had been kissing a girl. His little geeky brother was putting the moves on some chick.

Catching sight of a blemish peaking from beneath Sam's shirt, Dean flashed his hand forward and snagged the top of Sam's shirt. With deceptive speed, Dean tugged it down to reveal a hickey on his brother's collarbone. More like some girl was putting the moves on his brother. "Exhibit B."

Dean dropped back into his chair and smugly drew the spoon back and forth through the soggy mess in his glass. "Take a load off, Sam. It looks like it's finally time for that little talk we've been postponing."

His little brother -- although he wryly acknowledged at an inch shorter than Dean's own 6'1" frame, Sam wasn't so little any more -- collapsed heavily into a kitchen chair across from Dean. "Please. I don't need life lessons from someone who tries to nail anything with a pair of…"

Dean didn't appreciate the lack of respect or the direction of the conversation. "Zip it, Sam. We're here to talk about you, not me. So spill. What's her name and what could she possibly see in you?"

He'd meant the words to be sarcastic but Sam's face fell. It wasn't any fun poking at Sam if he took it so seriously. And really, Sam was Dean's brother, so he had to have some of the good Winchester genes and charm.

Dean guessed his little brother had nice eyes, for a guy. Not that Dean would really know. And his dimples were cute. Or so he'd heard a variety of waitresses and store clerks say over the years. Dean just couldn't figure out why Sam was so lacking in confidence.

Sam heaved himself out of the chair and Dean lunged across the table to grab his arm. "Sit. Please. I promise not to say anything obnoxious for at least two minutes."

His little brother narrowed his eyes and frowned before settling back in the kitchen chair. "Her name is Grace. She's in one of my classes. And I don't know what sees in me."

Dean felt bad. No one, except for Dean, should be able to put such an utter look of misery on Sam's face. He could see he had his work cut out from him.

-0-

Sam tried to ignore the revolting concoction Dean was shoveling into his mouth. If he didn't look so much like his dad, he'd be tempted to believe Dean's claims that a gypsy family had deposited a baby Sam on their doorstep and fled into the night. That's how out of sync Sam felt with his dad and brother.

John Winchester had uprooted them and settled them in this sleepy little town in Southern Illinois before disappearing for a more important job in Colorado. His dad never explained his rationale and Sam knew better than to ask.

The one saving grace was that Dean was in charge and his older brother ran a much looser ship. As in the sails were never trimmed and the oars were out of the water. But life with Dean was never dull.

And although he might sometimes doubt his father's love, Sam always knew where he stood with Dean. The person he looked up to more than anyone else. His personal hero.

Who was currently stuffing a gooey yellow concoction into his mouth and moaning in pleasure.

When his brother prodded him with a kick under the scarred kitchen table, Sam found he was ready to talk. He needed another perspective on Grace. He was mortified that the object of his crush had asked him to Prom. He didn't have the money to go and he didn't know why someone like Grace would want to be seen with him.

-0-

Dean was pleased with himself. He'd finally brow-beaten Sam into accepting the invitation to the Prom; a night to remember...yeah, Dean was going to do his best to make sure his little brother had exactly that.

To begin with, he'd offered up the use of the Impala. Dean hadn't missed the way Sam's eyes had lit up — Sam wasn't into cars the way Dean was, but there was no mistaking the interest his little brother had in tooling around in the fine, fine set of wheels. But then Sam's face had set into stubborn lines. Dean wanted to shake some sense into his brother but patience was the only way to achieve results with Sammy the mule.

_Sam, please, what's the problem here. You've got a hot babe, the Impala...I'll even pay for the damn tux and kick in money for dinner. So what's holding you back here?_

_I just...I don't know, Dean. I like her. And of course I'm attracted to her. But I don't love her. And there's all this pressure, you know?_

_Sammy, Sammy, Sammy...you need to quit reading those romance novels. According to the hickey you're sporting, the Ice Princess is totally into you. And you want her. Just take her to dinner, wine her and dine her, and see what happens. No pressure._

Dean shook his head in consternation. Sometimes dealing with Sam was like dealing with an alien. What teenage boy didn't want a little bit of action? Only Sammy. That boy was way too sensitive for someone who had been exposed to the seamier side of supernatural life. Go figure.

But the brothers were now headed to the big city an hour away, in search of a tux that would fit his brother, Stretch. Prom was only five days away now and everything in the area had been picked over and snapped up.

The car rumbled to a stop outside of After Six Tuxedos. Dean had been to three proms — two in one year due to a well timed move — and the fitting process sucked. There was no way around it. But that's why Dean was here; to lend Sam moral support. And pay for the rental. Oh, yeah, and to make fun of Sam who was sure to resemble a penguin.

Dean propelled Sam into the door ahead of him and they were immediately pounced on by a salesman. Monsieur Felipe' spoke with a heavy accent and was a bit free with his hands. Dean couldn't tell if he was swishy or if he just liked to touch in that continental way. When Felipe' started running a hand down Dean's biceps, he'd had enough. "Dude, hands off. We're here to rent a tux for by brother, Sam."

Felipe' turned his soulful brown eyes on Sam. "Samuel, yes? What exactly are you looking for?"

He still couldn't place the accent. It sounded faintly French but for all Dean knew, Felipe' could have been from Spain, or Portugal. Or even Chicago. Salesmen could be pretentious bastards.

Sam's face was priceless; scrunched up in confusion and ill at ease. The look shifted to abject terror as the salesman dragged his brother by the arm back by the mannequins wearing formal wear.

The salesman fingered his mustache thoughtfully. He strode over to a powder blue tux. "Something special like this, yes? It will bring out your eyes and make the ladies swoon."

Sam's eyes nearly bugged out of his head. "Please, no. I was looking for something simple. And cheap."

Felipe's face turned pink. "Cheap?! We do not carry cheap here, young man. You must take those words back or we can go no further."

Dean was getting ready to intervene, perhaps by suggesting they hit another store, when Sam closed his gaping mouth and his eyes narrowed. "I apologize, sir. But I don't need anything fussy. Or expensive. It's just for one night and we don't have much money."

The salesman's haughty expression thawed. Perhaps appeased by Sam's words or his honesty, Felipe' placed a slim arm around Sam's shoulders. "I know exactly what you need, Samuel. You must put your trust in me. Right this way and I will take some measurements and we will have you fitted in no time at all."

Sam threw a pleading look over his shoulder at Dean before he disappeared into the dressing area. He really should stick close to Sam — after all, the measurements alone could be traumatic what with figuring the inseam — but his little brother had stood up to Felipe' and seemed quite capable.

Capable. That was a good word to describe his little brother. Dean knew their dad still looked on Sam like he was just a little kid, but his little brother had a stellar mind and wasn't afraid to use it. Nor was he afraid of hard work.

Dean wandered over to the fitting rooms and plunked down in a chair. There were magazines strewn across a low table and he picked through them casually. _The Best Sex of Your Life. _Now there was an attention grabber. Dean lifted the Cosmopolitan and leered at the scantily clad model before settling in and reading about what women want in a lover.

He lost track of the time and was startled when Felipe' cleared his throat. "May I present to you Monsieur Samuel."

Prepared to stifle his laughter, Dean was shocked by the man who stood before him in a black tux with white formal shirt. Where was his little brother?

The tuxedo clung to Sam's musculature and emphasized his tall, lean legs. And the expression on Sam's face was one of confidence.

Dean hated dressing in formal wear but it was a necessary evil sometimes. Sam, however, looked like he was made for it.

When Dean remained silent, the confident expression melted from his little brother's face. "It's not me, is it? I knew this was hopeless."

Felipe' scowled at Dean's non reaction and parted his lips, probably to blister him for not worshiping at the salesman's acumen. But he forestalled that response. "Wow, Sam. I never thought I'd say this but you look great. For a geeky little brother. What's-her-face is going to flip when she sees you."

A shy smile broke over Sam's lips and his eyes lifted from the ground to make eye contact with Dean's. "You're not just saying that?"

Dean couldn't stop the answering smile on his own lips. "Scout's honor."

Sam rolled his eyes but his face remained fixed with happiness. "You were never a scout, Dean."

The easy smile remained on his face as Dean bantered back. "Semantics, Sammy. Now why don't you change out of that monkey suit and I'll settle up with Felipe'. We'll get something to eat and I'll tell you all about my prom dates. Missy. Jenny. Julie. Ah, yes."

Sam's groan was canceled out by Felipe's outrage at Dean referring to the tux as a monkey suit. Imbecile and idiot seemed to flow just fine from the accented lips.

As Dean made his way to the cash register, he thought of Sam looking all grown up in his tux.

There was an ache somewhere in the region of his heart. His little brother was growing up and Dean wasn't ready to let him go yet.

-0-

Sam enjoyed the feel of the Impala's steering wheel beneath his hands. He caught a quick glance at Grace from the corner of his eye and his anxiety increased.

Despite almost spearing himself when pinning the corsage on Grace, she was the one vibrating with tension. The corsage, a single pink rose surrounded by baby's breath, was a great choice against Grace's white flowing dress. Grace looked like a bride with the floor length dress and her hair up on top of her head...she took his breath away. Sam felt clumsy as he fought with the pin. When the corsage was finally in place and he looked at Grace he was upset to see her stricken expression. Maybe he'd screwed up. The pink rose was too boring.

Grace put her slim, small hand on Sam's arm. "I'm so sorry."

Sam's heart clenched at the words. Maybe he'd made a total fool out of himself and Grace didn't want to be seen with him.

Her voice cracked. "I didn't remember the boutonnier for you. I feel so stupid."

His date was apologizing because she'd forgotten to get him some silly flower and he'd been afraid she didn't want to be seen with him. That would teach him to jump to conclusions.

Sam had done his best to assure Grace that he could live without the boutonnier and they'd allowed her mother to snap a couple of pictures of them before he escorted her out to the Impala. At least he remembered to open the passenger door for her. Dean had drilled that one into his head.

But despite Grace's tremulous smiles, Sam couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong. The petite blond was definitely on edge and kept fiddling with her beaded handbag.

Turning into the parking lot of The French Country Inn, Sam wheeled the Impala to an empty area at the far end of the lot. He wasn't about to chance getting a scratch on Dean's baby.

Sam exited the car with as much dexterity as he could muster in the restrictive tux and made his way to Grace's side to assist her from the car. All of this door opening and closing was a bit much to handle but Sam was doing his best to show Grace he wasn't a worthless clod.

Grace flashed another tight smile at Sam as they entered the restaurant and were seated. There wasn't much Sam could do now except try to entertain his date and hope she didn't bail on him.

And Dean had teased him once again about losing his virginity when he left the house. Not at this rate.

Trying to conserve Dean's money, Sam ordered water. That must have been a major faux pas because his date gasped. "Sam, you can't just drink water."

He didn't understand why it was such a big deal but in an attempt to appease Grace, he ordered a Coke.

After much avoiding of eye contact and stilted conversation, Sam excused himself and headed for the bathroom. The night was turning into a complete disaster.

Forcing himself to return to the table, Sam was greeted by a much different Grace. She was smiling and giggling, full of effervescence. It was a complete change from her demeanor before he left the table. Sam was baffled. He wondered what would happen if he worked the word Christo into the conversation; the only thing he could figure was that Grace was possessed.

More likely, Sam just didn't understand females. He took a large gulp of the Coke and tried to follow his date's conversation as she flitted from subject to subject at light speed. Maybe Grace had a flask and had taken nips while Sam was gone from the table. Her behavior was freaking him out, but he decided to make the most of the situation.

Sam threw back more of the soda, just to give himself something to do. And then a funny thing happened. He started to loosen up. He found himself frenetically babbling right along with Grace. "Your blue eyes…they're so blue. And your blond hair is so light. Wow."

He lost himself as he mentally catalogued Grace's attributes. At least he thought he was mentally cataloguing them but he wasn't sure because every once in a while she would blush, stammer and smile.

At some point dinner was served but Sam wasn't interested. He only had eyes for Grace. The girl with big, blue eyes. Blue, his favorite color.

The restaurant seemed extra smoky and Sam squinted his eyes in an effort to see his date. His head felt thick and congested. Foggy.

Grace was withdrawing money from her purse and pulling Sam to his feet. He heard her murmur about high heels not being conducive to walking across gravel parking lots, her small hand clutching Sam's arm with a vengeance.

And then things turned even murkier and he gave in to the intense urge to close his eyes. He whispered something about the Impala and Dean but Grace hushed him. The motion of the car lulled him and Sam drifted off.

-0-

Grace looked over at Sam sleeping peacefully next to her in the rumbling Impala. He looked so sweet and innocent. She knew she had chosen the perfect mate. After tonight, their souls would be forever connected.

It was too bad that she had to drug Sam, and not let him in on the excitement of their bonding. But as hard as it was to ask Sam out to prom, it would have been a lot harder to ask him to sacrifice his life so that they could save humanity and be together forever.

Her church, the New Life Church, was gathering in the woods awaiting their arrival. Grace had joined this church in search of something new and exciting. This church had provided that. There were only fifteen members and of that only five in the youth portion of the group, but it was an exciting group.

The church founder, Ben Higgins was a charismatic man who believed that the ancient Mayan Aztecs 

had been the most advanced and prosperous people to ever inhabit the earth. Grace had been amazed to learn that small sects still followed the old Aztec beliefs. Over time she came to realize that these beliefs were true and pure.

Six months after joining the church, their youth minister, Charles Burch, had approached Grace with a great mission to save mankind. According to their ancient belief's, five Aztec Gods had given their lives to stop the end of the universe. The universe was on a cycle and every fifty two years a ceremony, called the New Fire Ceremony, was performed in order to appease the Gods and to ensure that the universe would not collapse.

Grace was told that her mission was to help perform the New Fire Ceremony. Over the years, the people practicing this ceremony had stopped using human sacrifices to appease the Gods. Their church believed that it was a mistake and not using blood sacrifice was the reason for all the wars and human suffering that was going on today. They wanted to perform the ceremony just as it had been in the past with two virgin sacrifices. Grace was the only virgin in their church and so they approached her with the honor of giving her life to save humanity.

Charles explained to Grace that this would mark her place in history and that she and her partner would forever be remembered for their sacrifice. Grace hadn't been so sure at first but the more she thought about it the more she had embraced the idea. Her life was going to end after high school anyway, she had nothing to look forward to. Why not save humanity and find her place among the Gods with her new partner, for eternity?

She had been happy that the lunar eclipse that was key to the ceremony just happened to fall on prom night. It meant that she had a good reason to dress up for the occasion and for Sam to be dressed up, too. After all this was like a wedding ceremony and she wanted to look the part. Grace just wished that her parents could be there to see. But they weren't members of her church and wouldn't condone her giving her life for humanity.

Everything was going according to plan, well except for the stupid car she was stuck driving. Sam's brother's car was old and hard to drive, especially in high heels and a formal. The drive was getting even more difficult as she headed out on Old Pine Wood Road. It was a barely cleared dirt road that lead to the middle of the woods where the ceremony was being performed.

Grace's excitement over the ceremony helped quell the frustration of driving the car, especially as she approached the clearing. She smiled as she looked over at Sam. The prom committee had come up with the theme, A Night To Remember, and Grace had to agree that tonight would be.  
-0-

Dean was stuck at home on a Saturday night without his car. Normally that would have him in a foul mood, but tonight he was enjoying the moment. It was another big first for his little brother, and Dean couldn't help but be anything but happy. He grabbed himself a beer from the fridge and settled down to watch_ Dumb and Dumber_ on the television set.

He smiled as he thought of how Sam had been a bundle of nerves before he left. Dean was used to his brother asking a hundred questions when he was nervous but it had been amusing that tonight they had been about sex. They had reviewed the mechanics of sex, protection and where to take the girl.

Dean had been happy to provide money for a nice hotel. The kid deserved to have a little fun. Dean smiled when he thought of the corny prom theme, a night to remember, how fitting.

-0-

Sam heard his name, but it was muffled and then he felt himself being nudged. Probably Dean wanting him to get up, but Sam really wanted to sleep. His body felt heavy and the last thing he wanted to do was wake up.

"D-Dean l-leave me 'lone." Sam was able to mumble out.

"Oh Sam, please wake up!" The voice was definitely not Dean. It was loud and shrill and belonged to a female. Sam could feel sharp finger tips on his jaw as his head was being moved back and forth.

Curiosity won out over the need for sleep and Sam slowly opened his eyes. A pretty blond was staring at him looking panicked. It took Sam's muddled mind a moment to connect the dots, but things were coming back to him. The girl in front of him was Grace, and they were going to prom. But what happened?

"Sam, I'm so glad you woke up." Grace was smiling at him.

"W-where are we? Um, are we in the woods? Oh my God, you d-drive Dean's car? He is so going to kill us!" Sam was struggling to sit up and get his bearings.

Grace just continued smiling. "Oh don't worry, I was careful. My church is having a special gathering before prom, here. Hope you don't mind."

Sam just stared at the girl. He did mind. This was not on the itinerary for tonight. Who gets dressed up in formal wear to go to the woods? Something wasn't right, but as hard as he tried he was having trouble gathering his thoughts.

He was brought out of his musing when there was a knock at the passenger window and then the door opened. Sam looked up to find a middle aged man dressed like a monk. This night was just getting weird!

The monk smiled at him. "You must be Sam. Grace has told us all about you. We're so happy you could join us on this most important night. I'm Charles. Here let me help you get out of the car, the others are waiting."

"I think I just want to stay in the car, thanks." Sam was getting bad vibes and wanted to move over to the driver's side of the car and make an escape, but his body wasn't cooperating.

Grace helped him sit up. "Oh Sam this won't take long and then we can be together just the two of us. I promise."

"I-I.." Sam started to speak with the Charles reached over and grabbed him pulling him out of the car. The monk's robes had hidden how bulky and strong Charles was. Sam wanted to fight him off, but was having trouble standing on his own.

"Sam, just lean on me and I'll take you to the others." Charles said as he wrapped his arm around Sam's waist and took Sam's arm and draped it over his shoulder.

Sam was having trouble focusing, his sight was a bit blurred, but he could make out a clearing. As they approached, there was a small group of about ten people all dressed in robes, just like Charles.

In the middle of the clearing there were two large flat rocks. Sam was lead over to one of them. He was happy to sit down on the edge of one rock trying to gather his mind around what was happening. Charles and the others circled him and Charles began to speak.

"Sam, you have been chosen to take part in a very important ritual tonight. Tonight at midnight during the lunar eclipse you will be sacrificed along with Grace. You two will then be bonded together forever and will ensure that our universe will be at peace for another fifty two years. Your bodies will be burned and we will celebrate you and your sacrifice." Charles was done speaking and Sam was trying to focus on what had been said. His mind got stuck on the word sacrifice. That word worried him.

"D-Did you say sacrifice as in killing me?" Sam hoped that his mind was just playing tricks on him, this couldn't be happening.

"You and Grace are our virgin sacrifices. We needed you to complete the New Fire Ceremony, it is part of our ancient beliefs based on the Aztecs." Charles said in a very calm voice.

Sam decided that whether he was hearing correctly or not, he needed to get away. He stood and was ready to run but his body didn't want to cooperate and he found himself on the ground.

Charles reached down to pick him up, and with as much strength as he could muster, he tried to fight him off. It was of no use, and he was quickly subdued and forced to lay on the flat rock. The flat rock he now knew was an altar.

Sam felt his arms being forced above his head and handcuffed and then another chain was hooked to the middle of the handcuff chain and he felt it being secured to the rock. Sam stopped fighting. He knew that his only way out was going to be trying to reason with these crazed cultists.

Grace walked over to him with tears in her eyes. "Please Sam, don't fight this. We're to be together soon, forever."

Sam took a calming breath and looked around. The others from the group were gathering around putting together a bon fire. Sam decided to use his alone time with Grace to get information and reason with her.

"So Grace, is your whole church here?" Sam asked as he tried to count how many were here. He thought there were about fifteen.

"Oh, our leader Father Higgins and his four elders aren't here yet. They won't be until it is time to start." Grace smiled and reached down to stroke Sam's face.

Sam tried his best to not jerk away in anger. "So, this is what you want Grace?"

Grace nodded. "Yes Sam, and after tonight our souls will be bonded for eternity. Our sacrifice celebrated for ages."

Sam knew the girl had been brain washed and he just needed to reach her. "Is it what your family wants?"

Grace looked down and didn't give him eye contact. "They don't know. They wouldn't understand."

"Um that's because they love you. They wouldn't want you to give up your chance at life for this church. A church that pretends to care, but just wants you so that it can survive. Your mom and dad love you and want you to have a normal live. To have a career, a husband and eventually a family of your own." Sam hoped that he was reaching her and as she looked at him with tears in her eyes he could tell that she was at least listening.

"But Sam, this is for the greater good." Grace pleaded.

"According to this church, but not others. Other churches would see that as a sin. Besides that, have you asked about how we're going to die? Is it going to be painful? What church would take an innocent against his will? Your church is doing that to me!" Sam could help but let his anger boil over.

"But Sam…" Grace started, but Sam couldn't take anymore of her brainwashed babble.

"No stop, I don't want to hear anymore from you. You drugged me and brought me here to be slaughtered!" Sam whole body was trembling with anger.

Grace flinched and moved away. Charles must have sensed the tension and moved closer to Grace.

"Grace, is there a problem?" Charles asked as he put his arm around Grace.

"No, Sam's just angry and you told me that would probably happen." Grace admitted in a small voice.

Sam then realized that she must have thought that he might go along with this horrendous plan. It almost made him want to laugh.

Charles nodded. "Sam hasn't had the privilege of being a member of our church and doesn't have the true understanding that you do. So it is only natural that he would be upset. That will all pass once the ceremony is complete and you two are bonded."

Grace wiped her tears away. "We didn't discuss details, can you tell me a bit of what is going to happen?"

Charles smiled. "Of course, we'll prepare you two. Sam will go first so you can watch that part and then you will understand what is to be done. After the preparation, Father Ben will arrive and start the ceremony, and the last part will happen at midnight."

Sam couldn't help but speak up, anger coursing through him. "The last part, you mean the sacrifice. How will you kill us? Will it be slow and painful?" Sam was shocked at how the anger he was feeling helped clear his head.

Charles kept his composure. "Sam, I am sorry. I know this is all hard for you to understand. Yes, the sacrifice will be somewhat painful, but hopefully over fairly quickly. We'll cut your throats and let you bleed out."

Sam flinched and watched as Grace started to look a bit pale, at last realizing just what the word sacrifice meant.

One of the others walked over and told Charles that it was time to start preparing. The group gathered around Sam and he felt their hands on his body holding him down. His bow tie was removed and his shirt was unbuttoned.

Sam felt the shirt being pulled away and his chest was exposed. Charles took a paint brush and dipped it into a liquid and began to draw some sort of symbol on Sam's chest as the others chanted. Sam caught Grace out of the corner of his eye, she was standing to his right and wasn't chanting. In fact, she was looking a bit sick. Great, now she comes to her senses.

Sam wished that Dean was there, but there was no way that his big brother had any idea that he was in trouble. There would be no big brother to the rescue this time. It made Sam sick to think of how his death would affect Dean. Dean had always looked out for him and protected him but not tonight.

He wanted to scream in anger and frustration but decided to stay calm. There might be a moment where he could make his escape and he had to be focused in case that happened.

The paint brush was put down and Sam watched as Charles pulled a small knife from its sheaf. It was raised above his chest above the symbol painted there and Sam thought that this might be the end. _I'm so sorry to leave you Dean_. Sam closed his eyes and waited.

But instead of the knife being plunged into his chest, he felt it trace along the paint on his chest. The knife wasn't cutting into him deeply but it still hurt. Sam couldn't stop the scream that came from his lips as the knife was dragged across his chest releasing his blood as it moved forward.

Sam heard another scream to his right after his subsided. He opened his eyes in time to see a panicked Grace start to run from the others. Charles put the knife down next to Sam and joined the others in pursuit of Grace.

Sam said a silent thanks as he realized that this was the opportunity he had been hoping for.

He needed to get free, but how. The handcuffs needed to be picked open, but how. His fingers searched the surface of the rock hoping to find something that would work but came up empty. Then he remembered the stupid cuff links on his wrists. When he had put them on tonight, he had thought them silly, but now they might be his salvation. Reaching his right hand over his left cuff he tugged until the link's backing popped off. Using the sharp pointed end of the link he was able to pick the lock fairly quickly, and then was able to repeat the process on the other wrist.

Sam slowly rose from the altar, his head still swimming a bit but not as bad as earlier. He was happy to see the church group was still focused on Grace, and didn't notice that he was now free. Sam realized he didn't have much time to escape because the group was closing in on Grace.

Moving as quickly as he could, Sam reached the Impala just as the group captured Grace.

It had been tempting to leave Grace there, but Sam realized that she didn't deserve to die. He could see the terror on her face and it moved him to action. Grabbing the keys from the ignition, Sam hurried around to the back of the Impala.

He quickly grabbed the shotgun full of buck shot and a pistol. Sam stuck the pistol in the back of his waist band and moved forward with the shotgun loaded and ready.

The church group had just realized he was missing as he approached. All quickly froze when they realized that Sam was armed.

"Give me the girl and back away." Sam commanded as he approached. He was still a bit unsteady on his feet.

Charles smiled as he held tight to Grace. "Sam, you have been chosen for a great purpose, don't ruin your chance."

Sam huffed. "Um, here's the deal. Let the girl go now, or I **will** shoot."

Charles held his ground. "Sam you're weak from the drugs, I think I'll just wait right here until you fall over. That shouldn't be long."

Sam felt the anger in him rise again. He wanted to shoot this guy in the leg and be done, but Charles held the terrified girl close and he couldn't chance hurting her. So instead he moved the shotgun until the bon fire was in his sight and fired. It caused quite an explosive reaction. The fire quickly began to spread out of control and that sent the church members in a panic, but Charles held his ground.

Sam was frustrated and at a loss as to what to do next when he watched Grace's expression change. With her free hand she wiped the tears from her eyes, and the fear that was there turned to anger. Sam watched as she brought her high heel down as hard as she could on Charles's foot. The man quickly let go screaming a stream of obscenities as she ran towards Sam.

Not wasting another moment, Sam grabbed Grace and they ran to the Impala. Sam opened the trunk and dropped the weapons, and started for the driver's side, but Grace was there and had already started the car.

Not having time to argue, Sam quickly jumped into the passenger side and the two of them took off.

-0-

In the end, Sam was grateful that Grace was driving. After the adrenaline rush had worn off, Sam was once again feeling the effects of being drugged earlier. Plus his chest was throbbing where Charles had tried to carve the Aztec symbol.

It took all the energy that Sam could summon just to stay conscious. He glanced over at Grace to see 

how she was doing. Her hands held the stirring wheel tight and she looked pale but seemed to be holding it together.

Sam realized that he must have drifted when he felt the car come to a stop and opened his eyes.

"Are you okay Sam? I could take you to the hospital." Grace reached over to study the wound on his chest.

Sam winced as he sat up straighter. "No, I'm glad you brought me home. Dean can take care of the wounds, they're not deep. Are you okay?"

Grace nodded. "I'm a bit bruised but I'll live, thanks to you. I-I don't even know what to say Sam. I'm truly sorry, but …"

"Don't, okay. You were stupid and put us both at risk, and you'll have to live with that. We're going to have to talk to the police, you know that right? These people might try this again if we don't. So, all I want is for you to make it right and if you do that I can forgive you." Sam tried to smile but he knew he failed.

"Sure Sam, I can do that." Grace did smile back at him.

"Okay, here's the plan. You go home and call the police. Now here's the tricky part. I want you to honk the horn and then run as fast as you can." Sam did smile at the confused look on Grace's face.

"Why?"

"Uh, cause as soon as my brother sees me and then notices that you have been driving his car, he is going to kill you. So I suggest that you move fast, okay?" Sam smile widened as he watched Grace swallow hard and take her heels off ready to make her sprint for freedom. She opened the door and then laid on the horn. Sam had to laugh at how fast the girl was able to run in a formal.

-0-

Dean had just finished his second Jim Carey movie of the night when he heard the Impala pull up. His first thought was that Sam had stuck out but when he snuck a glance out the front window, he noticed that two people were in the car. Maybe Sam forgot something important, which was fine with Dean because it would give him a chance to tease Sam and to see how the date was going.

A few minutes later, Dean was startled from his spot on the couch when the Impala's horn blared and shook the house. Jumping up and quickly looking out the front window again, Dean was confused as he watched Sam's prom date run down the street.

Dean quickly headed outside, confused and worried as to what would cause the girl to run away. He quickly reached the car and opened the driver's door to find Sam slumped over in the passenger's seat. Dean quickly made his way to that side of the car and opened Sam's door.

His brother was a mess, the tux was rumbled and had twigs and dead grass stuck to it. Sam was pale and eyes were half open, but the thing that took Dean's breath away was the blood. Sam's shirt was 

unbuttoned and in the center of his chest was some sort of symbol and Dean could tell that someone had started carving that symbol into Sam's chest. Luckily the cuts didn't look deep and there were only three two inch long strips cut into the flesh.

"Sammy, are you okay?" Dean asked, hoping that his brother was conscious enough to answer.

"D-Dean, I was drugged and they cut me a bit, but I'm okay. C-Can you help me into the house." Sam was looking at him with unfocused eyes.

"Sure Sammy, let's get you in the house. And then Lucy, you got some s'plaining to do!" Dean tried to lighten the moment for his little brother who evidently had a hell of a night.

Sam smiled and put his right arm over Dean's shoulder as he helped Dean helped him to his feet. It took a bit of time to get his drugged brother in the house and comfortable on the couch. Dean went and got the first aid kit and a bowl of soapy water to clean Sam up with.

"So Sammy, what the hell happened tonight?" Dean asked as he started cleaning the ritual markings off of Sam.

"Grace belongs to some crazy church that bases its beliefs off of Ancient Aztec Gods. They had brain washed her into being their virgin sacrifice as part of some New Fire Ceremony and she needed a virgin partner and she choose me. When we were at the restaurant, she drugged me. Then she took me to the middle of the woods to meet her church and to be sacrificed." Sam winced as Dean got close to one of the wounds.

"Sorry Sammy, so how did you get away?" Dean felt the anger building but knew he had to stay focused on getting Sam fixed up before he could enact any revenge.

"Well, once they started carving me up, Grace freaked and ran away. While they were chasing her, I used my cuff link to get free of the hand cuffs they had me in. I was able to get to the Impala and the weapons before they knew I was gone. I grabbed Grace and then she brought me back here." Sam winced again, as Dean started cleaning the wounds out.

"Well kiddo, I don't think these wounds are deep enough for stitches but we'll have to keep them clean." Dean was still trying to wrap his mind around what had happened when the door bell rang.

Sam looked at him sheepishly and spoke. "That's probably the police. I told Grace to contact them."

Dean rolled his eyes and went to get the door.

-0-

What a night, after fixing Sam up, dealing with police questions and getting Sam in bed, Dean had stayed up until he had confirmation that all the church members were in custody. Dean had slept in but still woke before Sam the next morning.

Sam slowly entered the kitchen moving like an old man. Dean poured the kid some coffee and sat down opposite him at the kitchen table.  


"How you feeling kiddo?" Dean asked as he handed Sam the coffee.

"Um, stiff and sore, but I'll live." Sam asked tentatively taking a sip of coffee.

"You do know that Felipe' is going to flip out when you return the tux, right?"

Dean watched as Sam sputtered with a mouth full of coffee.

Sam wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. "I was a little too busy trying to stay alive to keep the tux clean."

"Yeah, well maybe you might not be alive for long if I can't get all the scratches out of my car!" Dean almost broke his serious expression and smiled when Sam's eyes shot wide open.

"Oh yeah, Dean I'm so sorry, but Grace …" Sam started to say, but Dean cut him off.

"Yeah, you better be sorry, letting that brain washed occult girlfriend of yours drive my baby out into the woods! Once your better, you're going to help me buff all those scuffs out!" Dean tried hard to keep his voice stern.

Sam voice was quiet as he replied. "Sure Dean."

"And then Sam, we're getting you laid, because this is not happening again! A night to remember is when you get laid not sacrificed, you understand!" Dean couldn't help but grin as his brother sputtered coffee everywhere.

"D-Dean!" Sam was able to manage before turning beet red.

Yeah, Dean thought it was good to have Sam home, safe and sound. Dean was sorry Sam had gotten hurt, but it proved he was still needed by his little brother.

End

Final A/N: Thanks for reading our little birthday present to Floralia!


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